In with the new...

There's a new queen in town, and her name is Jennifer Hudspeth, Miss Minnesota 2007!

It's hard to believe my year is over, but I had a great last week with all the Miss Minnesota contestants, and we put on a great show! Here are some snapshots from Saturday night:

the crowning moment - she was so excited!!!
my farewell

(in one of my favorite gowns of all time - Rodney Alfred, you're the best!)

the new faces of the Miss Minnesota Organization:

Jennifer Hudspeth, Miss MN '07

Chantal Wilson, Miss MN's Outstanding Teen '07

my farewell performance

I know Jen will be starting a blog of her own very soon so that you'll be able to follow all of her adventures as Miss Minnesota 2007!

It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve and represent all of Minnesota this year.

Farewell,

Nicole

Prelim Night!

Congratulations to all fifteen contestants for a FABULOUS preliminary show! There were four preliminary awards given tonight:

Community Service - Cori Shellum, Miss Coon Rapids
MAO Scholar - Meghan Kuznia, Miss Marshall County
Preliminary Swimsuit - (tie) Jennifer Hudspeth, Miss Mankato / Mackenzie Ross, Miss Brainerd Lakes
Preliminary Talent - Kathryn Knuttila, Miss Heart of the Lakes

SS winner Jennifer Hudspeth


SS winer Mackenzie Ross


Talent winner Kathryn Knuttila


aaaaaaaaaand just for fun, a photo of my talent performance of the night (courtesy of Liz's facebook page - thanks!)

In less than 24 hours, someone else will be wearing the Miss Minnesota crown... I can hardly wait to see who it will be!

Stay tuned...

Let the crownings begin...

I just got back to the Holiday Inn after tonight's Teen pageant, and we have an early morning tomorrow... so this will be quick!

Congratulations (!!!) to Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen 2007, Chantal Wilson! She's a fantastic pianist from Greenbush, MN, and she's looking forward to an exciting year promoting her platform of Literacy.

no, not all Minnesotans are blonde. just a lot of us.

I think she missed the instructions to make a silly face...

Lacey, Danielle, Kasandra, Mackenzie, Cindy, Kathryn, Cori, Tina, Lauren

(me = giant in the back row)

Karissa, Meghan, Liz, Amanda, Colleen, Jennifer

The adventure continues tomorrow with Preliminary Competition for Miss Minnesota. The contestants have their personal interviews starting at 9:30am (hence the early morning... it may not sound early, but once you factor in hair, makeup, wardrobe, breakfast, and travel time [potentially with traffic]... you get the idea). The show begins at 7pm... be there!

Good night to all :)

Football, Golf, Dance...

We started the morning out with breakfast at the Original Pancake House in Eden Prairie. The restaurant is owned by former Green Bay Packers player Max McGee.

Jake (our host for the morning), me, and Max

Max's Superbowl ring - he let us all try it on!

Lacey strikes a pose with the diamonds

Kasandra & Meghan feed each other delicious berries

Cindy makes her "I want coffee" face

After breakfast, we went to Dwan Golf Course in Bloomington for the Miss MN Golf Tournament. Seven teams of 4 players made their way around the 18 holes, while groups of contestants camped out on certain holes. The golfers played "Stump the Contestant". If they succeeded, they could subtract one point from their score! They paid for this opportunity... money for the scholarship fund! I administered a putting contest, and we picked a pretty tricky putt; out of 48 shots, NOBODY made it in, so the closest to the hole won the prize.

My dad's team won the tournament!

Of course, I completely forgot to sunscreen my neck, so I now have a lovely ring of red around my neck... hoping it fades soon!

We had our first rehearsal at the Eden Prairie Performing Arts Center, and it is AMAZING! There are still seats available for the 3 shows... and there's not a bad seat in the house. Seriously. If you haven't ordered your tickets yet, they'll be available at the door.

Tomorrow - Teen pageant! Hope to see you there!

Day 3...

I know, I'm getting really original with these titles...

This morning started out with a visit to the Capitol! My representative, Mary Liz Holberg, met us for a tour of the House Floor. Natalie Davis (Miss MN's Outstanding Teen) has an uncle who is a state senator, and he kindly gave us a tour of the Senate Floor and the Rotunda.

The view from the top - 3rd floor, on our way up to the roof!

All the Misses and all the Teens!

Natalie & I with the famous golden horses

Lunch at the Minnesota Room at Le Cordon Bleu - we had a fantastically energetic hostess (here she's snapping photos for the contestants)

Flaming Coffee!!!

(Happily endorsed by Miss Twin Cities, Miss Coon Rapids, and Miss Midwest)

Riding the Light Rail on the way to the Twins game!

I love public transit :)

Natalie & the Teen contestants outside the Metrodome

Mackenzie, Lacey, me, & Karissa in the Metrodome's lobby

We were introduced on the field - we stood on the line outside the baseline (it probably has an official name and I just don't know what it is)... but we were within FEET of the players warming up!!!

Tomorrow - Golf tournament, and our first rehearsal in the theatre!

Day 2...

Monday, Monday... This morning, we piled into our 15-passenger vans to visit Gillette Children's Hospital in St. Paul.

Tina, Meghan, Kathryn

Cori, Cindy, Jennifer, Danielle, Karissa

Once we arrived in the parking ramp, we used windows of random cars as mirrors to make sure the crowns were on and straight!

Lauren & Meghan

Mackenzie, Amanda, Liz

Kathryn & Danielle

The tour was amazingly eye-opening. Gillette is the Children's Miracle Network-affiliated hospital in Minnesota, and the care and services they provide is incredible. We met a few patients, including 4-year-old Kaili, who was wearing a blinking crown and was SO excited to spend time with real princesses!

Lunch was generously sponored by Santorini in St. Louis Park... delicious Greek food!

Colleen, Liz, me, Lacey, Karissa

Flaming Cheese!

the WHOLE group - click the photo for full-size image

This afternoon, Allyson (our fabulous producer and Miss Minnesota 2002) taught us Friday's opening number and portions of Saturday's... we definitely had to remind ourselves, "It's only Monday," several times. We'll be perfect by show time. Promise.

Dinner was at Buca di Beppo in Eden Prairie... platters upon platters of bread, salad, fettucine alfredo, spaghetti and meatballs, cheesecake, and delicious delicious delicious chocolate cake. Needless to say, there was much talk of squeezing in a workout tonight.

Tomorrow... visit to the Capitol, lunch at the Minnesota Room at Le Cordon Bleu, rehearsal, and TWINS GAME! Hopefully we'll see some of you there!

A demain-

Nicole

Pageant Week Kickoff - Bowl-a-thon!

Pageant week is here! The 15 local titleholders arrived this afternoon at the Holiday Inn Select in Bloomington. After settling into our rooms, we headed over to Brunswick Zone in Eden Prairie for pizza & bowling! We were greeted by Eden Prairie's mayor, Phil Young, who presented me with a proclamation in honor of my year as Miss Minnesota.

The fabulous bowlers of lane 23: David Shepardson (Co-Executive Director), me, Amanda Murphy (Miss Midwest), Cindy Neseth (Miss Twin Cities), Jennifer Hudspeth (Miss Mankato).

We played three games and improved our scores every time... during round three, I bowled a TURKEY!!!

Lacey Gebeke (Miss Frazee), Danielle Refsland (Miss Perham), Cori Shellum (Miss Coon Rapids), and Karissa Kujak (Miss Winona) pause to smile for the camera.

Kasandra Meehl (Miss Northwest), Colleen Meyer (Miss Anoka County), and Mackenzie Ross (Miss Brainerd Lakes) anticipate a... strike, maybe?

Tina Rosenthal (Miss Austin), Lauren Demming (Miss South Central), and Kathryn Knuttila (Miss Heart of the Lakes) model our matching T-shirts.

Tomorrow, we'll be visiting Gillette Children's Hospital (Minnesota's Children's Miracle Network-affiliated hospital), enjoying lunch at Santorini in St. Louis Park, then beginning work on the SHOW!

Stay tuned - I'll be posting updates and photos (including some group shots - I promise!) nightly.

Love,

Nicole

So many questions...

My favorite part of any school presentation is Question & Answer time. That's when I really get to hear what's important to the students, when their curiosity and creativity shine through.

On May 29th, I visited Sacred Heart School in Waseca. I presented to the entire school, grades K-4, in two shifts. During the second Q&A time, one girl raised her hand and asked, "When you shower... do you take the crown off?"

On May 30th, I visited middle schools in the Robbinsdale school district. One student asked if I would kiss him (I'm sorry, but no), and another asked if I was engaged to Joe Mauer (also no). Some students wanted to know if I had specific advice for string players, and others were interested in what it takes to become Miss Minnesota.

Questions aren't limited to grades K-8, however. This past weekend I was in Atlanta for the wedding of my friends Mary & Gavin. Bridesmaids, relatives from Mississippi, servers at the reception: "Are you really Miss Minnesota?" (yes) "At Miss America, did you call each other by your real names or by states?" (both) "Has it been a good year?"

To the last one... Absolutely. A gigantic, resounding, YES!!! I know I've said this before, but it's hard for me to believe it's all coming to an end. At the same time, though (and yes, I'll say this again too)... I can hardly wait for Miss Minnesota 2007 to have the time of her life.

Who will that be???? Come to the pageant - June 15-17 - and find out! Click here for your tickets... I'll see you at the show!

(And yes, there will be updates along the way!)

South to North

This week took me from southern Minnesota to the northern part of the state!

5/18 - The Miss South Central committee, chaired by Luke and Rochelle Odenbrecht, hosted a handing-off party at their home in Waseca. The Miss Waseca Sleigh & Cutter committee has taken over the South Central title and will be holding a dual pageant at the end of July. Jennifer Burt and Christy Stewart are excited to be taking on the new responsibilities and will be fantastic directors for two lucky girls. Pictured below is their current titleholder - Miss Waseca County Sleigh & Cutter, Liz Wandersee!
Thanks to Luke & Rochelle and everyone on the new and old South Central and Waseca committees - it was a pleasure to entertain you for the evening :)

5/20 - I performed the National Anthem to kick off the Minnesota AIDS Walk. As participants registered and tried to keep warm in the morning (it was the chilliest day we've had in awhile!), I walked around with volunteers, taking pictures with guests... and a few mascots, as you can see below. Thank you to everyone who participated in this event as a walker or a sponsor - it was a privilege to be a part of it!

Goldy Gopher!

with John Hines and Lee Valsvik, the morning hosts

Target's Bullseye mascot - he was warm!!!

5/23 - I spent the day in Kasson-Mantorville, neighboring towns with a unified school district. In the morning, I visited with 5th-graders at the middle school. After a delicious lunch at the historic Hubbel House, I rehearsed with the Senior High band and string players, then spoke to and performed for the 7th & 8th-graders (along with a few of the high school classes). That evening, the bands held their year-end concert, which they entitled "Music is Instrumental". The photo below is from a newspaper article about the concert.

Thanks to Nathan Davidson, the middle school band director, who did a fantastic job of organizing the day and all the people involved in it! Eileen Van Driest and Paula Knoll had both visited with his students during their years as Miss Minnesota... so our next titleholder with a music platform will definitely be welcomed in Kasson-Mantorville!

5/26 - My parents and I drove up to Duluth to visit my grandpa. He's recovering from an injury, so he's currently living in a physical rehabilitation center. While we were there, one of the nurses said, "Wait, are you... are you Miss Minnesota? I've heard all about you!" She asked for my autograph and said it made her day. I've told people that one of the best parts about this job is making people smile, and I'm so glad I could do that at a time when I wasn't even looking glamorous or wearing my crown :)

I think it's finally starting to hit me that someone else will soon be filling this amazing role... To all the contestants gearing up for Miss Minnesota (or any other state title, for that matter) - give it your all! You are about to embark on an amazing journey, and I am so excited for each and every one of you!

The Ides of May

Mid-May. Only one month away from mid-June, when a new face will become Miss Minnesota. But the adventure isn't over yet!!!

5/10 - I visited with a Brownies troop at Orchard Lake Elementary in Lakeville. Chloe, one of my viola students is a member and invited me to speak to her friends. Chloe and I played a few duets, I performed, and we had question-and-answer time. Many of them told me they want to be Miss Minnesota someday, and I said that would require lots of practicing and goal-setting!



5/11 - Young Audiences of Minnesota hosted their annual dinner & theatre benefit, and I served as celebrity emcee for the evening. It was an honor to be part of an event in support of such a great organization that provides in-school arts learning opportunities for students throughout the state. We were treated to a delicious dinner at Graves 601 Hotel in Minneapolis, followed by All Shook Up at the Orpheum.

5/16 - In the morning, I rehearsed with the orchestra at Park Center High School for the next evening's concert. That evening, I interviewed with Carla Beaurline and Mark DeJoy on Around Town Radio. Click here to get more information on the show!

5/17 - Orchestra concert at Park Center High School... I performed the first and second movements from Telemann's Viola Concerto. It was the final concert of the year, which also meant the final high school concert ever for the seniors. The class officers gave a very warm tribute to Mary Gagnon, the orchestra director (pictured below). She teaches and conducts with amazing energy! Many thanks to the Mary, the PCHS students, and those who attended the concert in support of the program!